Gerald Häfner is co-founder of Democracy International, a global network of people who promote and run democracy programs around the world. Häfner was also a member of the German Parliament for 10 years, a member of the European Parliament for five years, and chairman and CEO of the green party in Bavaria. Before participating in a panel discussion on what Britain owes Europe, Häfner visited the Zócalo green room to chat about political propaganda, mango chutney, and household chores.
Which of your friends, family members, or colleagues tells the best jokes?
Maybe my friend Roman. He’s got a lot of humor and he knows jokes. I don’t know jokes. And he’s a good teller.
You were born in Munich, Germany. What is something most people don’t know about your hometown?
Maybe that Munich was founded by or through a crime. There’s a river and those who founded Munich burned one bridge to build a new one and get money from those who needed to pass. That was 1,200 years ago.
What do you consider beautiful?
People. Nature. Animals. Flowers. Landscape.
What’s your favorite condiment?
Mango chutney.
What keeps you up at night?
Work and my thoughts.
When you were in the European Parliament, you were vice-chair of the delegation on relations with the Korean peninsula. What did you learn about North Korea during that time that you didn’t know before?
Theoretically I thought I knew a lot about North Korea, but then I visited five times. There is probably no other place right now where you can really study how a totalitarian system works and what it does to people. I remember being woken up every morning by songs and political propaganda for the great leader. This was a bit strange for me. And it’s all over the city—in the street, they have loudspeakers.
Do you have a favorite household chore?
I am quite often doing the dishes, but I would not say it’s a favorite of mine.
Where in the world is the best example of democracy?
Probably Switzerland. They started in 1871 with direct democracy. Switzerland is a country with four different languages so for people it’s not always easy to understand each other, but two to three times a year they discuss important issues all over the country and make decisions together. You can see in Switzerland how the discussions bring people together and form a will and identity. So we can learn a lot from Switzerland.